The Blind Horse

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” ―Helen Keller

“BLIND”

The tag hung from the mane of the horse. 

The camera zoomed out and revealed a number tag. Each lot for auction has one. 

It is typical for some maladies to be disclosed before auction, especially blindness in horses. It may not be apparent at first glance when a horse is blind. Otherwise, the animal looked sound. As country horse folk would say, "It was fat and slick.”  The ears were keen, though laid back and downward as if to suggest a bit of weariness, and its sorrel and white spot pattern was very akin to one of my horses. Maybe that is why it caught my attention the way it did. Either way, it has been burning in my mind since then.

The scene was a horse sale, but a “horse sale” in my part of the world includes horses, drafts, colts, donkeys, mules, ponies, wagons, saddles– anything related or pertaining to a horse can come across the auction block. Though I have been to a few, I find livestock auctions to be a curious place. They can be loud, hectic, and even a bit shocking. There is something mighty cheerless about it to me, but it is how things work in the farming world.

Keep in mind, I am one of many who grew up reading and watching film adaptations of the classic Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It is a marvelous story written from the perspective of the horse, whose wide-ranging experiences keep you turning the page. It is hard not to feel something during the story as Beauty shows you the world through his eyes. I recently watched the 1994 film adaptation, and dear readers, I admit to destroying a handful of tissues! It gets me every time.

But about this blind horse. . .

It turns out that the video came from a non-profit organization that saves, rehabs, and safely rehomes horses from various neglectful situations. I do not know what eventually became of the horse. I like to think it possible that it is somewhere in a green pasture nibbling grass with a buddy, in a corral with a child riding it in slow circles and offereing frequent pats on the neck, or even on a little farm with someone who enjoys the comfort of a horse they can brush and tell their troubles to whilst removing “fairy knots” from its mane (studies suggest horses can lower stress). 

Now I love animals, especially horses and dogs, but the video left me with a wider array of thoughts than that. I could not stop thinking about the person who looked past the “BLIND” tag on the horse and saw a beautiful, gentle creature with something more to give in the big picture. In less than ideal circumstances, they recognized the potential for good. Even though I do not know the rest of the story, there was a lesson. I considered my ability(or inability at times) to see beyond obstacles to recognize opportunity and potential. It could apply in all areas of life. It is often easy to focus on flaws, but what about strengths? True, life comes with obstacles, but it also comes with opportunity. The frequency and extent of both vary from one person to the next.  I think realism is important. Sometimes I just wonder how often pessimism comes disguised as realism. Perhaps we tend to think of realism as the absence of positivity. I contend that real is where good, bad, and everything in between come together. 

Ironically, the video of the blind horse left me with the question: How do I want to see things?

I am grateful for the lesson.

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